The Ministry of Health (MOH) revealed on Saturday (22 January) that a 92-year-old woman has died from complications related to the Omicron COVID-19 variant.
Here’s what we know about the first Omicron-related death in Singapore.
Woman was Unvaccinated with No Known Medical History
The 92-year-old woman caught the virus from a family member and succumbed to complications about 10 days after she got infected.
She had no known medical history and was unvaccinated. Investigations by doctors have shown that her death was due to COVID-19 infection by the Omicron variant.
MOH offered their deepest condolences to the woman’s family and loved ones, and reaffirmed that they will continue to do their best to care for all patients.
What is the Omicron Variant?
The Omicron variant, next in line after Delta, is making its wave across the world after being first detected in Hong Kong and southern Africa.
It has proven to be more easily transmissible even though it causes less severe symptoms.
Unfortunately, just because it may cause less severe symptoms doesn’t mean that there will be zero fatalities.
As of Thursday, 20 January, the weekly COVID-19 infection growth rate stood at 2.17, and 1,001 Omicron cases were confirmed. There were 952 local and 49 imported cases.
In the coming days, the number of cases may double every two to three days and daily cases may reach 15,000 or even more.
How is Singapore Dealing With Omicron?
To combat the Omicron wave, Singapore has been ramping up our nationwide vaccination and booster exercise.
Vaccinations are now being offered to children aged five to 11, and booster shots are also being offered to those who have completed their vaccinations at least five months ago.
From 14 March onwards, all teenagers aged 12 to 17 years old will have to take their booster shot within 270 days of completing their primary vaccinations to be considered “fully vaccinated”.
This also applies to those aged 18 and older from February onwards, as previously reported.
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What About The Festive Season?
With a rise in Omicron cases and now a confirmed fatality, you might be concerned whether the government will be tightening restrictions again.
As of now, there will be no changes to the current gathering limits for the Chinese New Year celebrations. Each household is still permitted to only have five visitors at once. Additionally, everyone is encouraged to take their ART tests before visiting.
Dining out will still be capped at five. Restaurants will continue to not allow bookings of multiple tables of five (unless everyone belongs to the same household).
Large-scale events to celebrate the new year will also not be allowed. It may be disappointing, but necessary to curb the possibility of any superspreader events.
For more details on the government’s newest measures to combat Omicron, you can read about yesterday’s press conference here.
Such bleak news reminds us that Omicron, while less severe, is still very dangerous, especially to high-risk groups like the elderly or the immunocompromised. Do continue to stay safe and comply with safe management measures, even throughout this festive season!
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